Things about the Winnipeg Jets and the NHL that crossed my mind —
Some random facts and a few thoughts from this past week about the Winnipeg Jets, the Manitoba Moose, and the National Hockey League.
1. After a win versus Chicago on Tuesday night, the Winnipeg Jets left for a five-game road trip and promptly lost the first three and finished the week 1-3-0 and now have an overall record of 9-10-2. It’s really bad when you are actually below the NHL’s bogus .500.
2. The charging penalty against Josh Morrissey in the Chicago game was an utter and complete joke. CHARGING? REALLY? That was a textbook open-ice hit by Josh and ANOTHER blown call by the men in stripes. No Hit League strikes again.
3. I inadvertently missed adding one of my thoughts into last Monday’s post and it was about the brilliant pass that Toby Enstrom made to Marko Dano on Winnipeg’s second goal last Sunday versus the L.A. Kings. That was a major league play by Toby Enstrom.
4. The Jets game in Boston was probably one of the SOFTEST games they’ve played in a couple of years. Zero compete and virtually NO body contact. Then the next night in Carolina they hit everything in sight but couldn’t stay off referee Tom Chmielewski’s radar. The Jets were undisciplined (Mark Stuart’s penalty was just stupid) but in fairness, it was a horribly officiated game. Senior referee Wes McCauley sucked on his whistle all night while Chmielewski and his one year of experience thought that all the fans in Raleigh were there to watch him. He couldn’t stop genuflecting and sending Jets players to the penalty box.
5. Anybody that buys into the “analytics community’s” narrative that faceoffs aren’t important should ask Paul Maurice what he thought about his team’s lack off faceoff wins the last few games.
6. I’m getting real sick of seeing goals being scored high on the short side every game. There is NO WAY a left-handed shooter should be able to score on the short side high or low from the left-wing and vice-versa for righties on the right-wing. If he happens to pick the top corner on the far side, it was either a great shot and you tip your hat or the goalie didn’t play the angle correctly. This is unforgivable in this day and age with 6’2 – 6’5 goaltenders with huge equipment.
7. How is it possible for teams to have four games in hand already this early in the season?
8. Is anybody else getting sick of the song and dance between the NHL, IIHF, and the IOC every four years? I know the NHL players really want to go the Olympics so why can’t these morons get together and hammer out a long-term deal instead of pissing and moaning every four years. I agree with Gary Bettman’s stance that the NHL isn’t going to shut down their season for two weeks and then pay for the privilege to participate in the Olympics when hockey is one of the IOC’s biggest money makers. I’d tell Thomas Bach to “go pound sand” too!
9. Last Tuesday after the Chicago game, the Winnipeg Jets looked like a playoff team but now after three straight road losses they look more like contenders in the Nolan Patrick sweepstakes.
10. IMHO, Nikolaj “don’t call me Nik” Ehlers should be quarterbacking the Winnipeg Jets powerplay. He gives the powerplay the best chance to gain the offensive zone without dumping the puck in all the time.
11. When I go on my “bad refereeing” rants it’s rarely about the penalties they call and more about calling the game the same for both teams and about the penalties they miss.
12. I really hate when I bitch about the NHL’s officiating, it’s really unbecoming BUT man are they bad on a nightly basis and not just in the Jets games I watch.
13. That THUD you hear is all the Jets fans jumping off the bandwagon. Relax folks, this team is going to put you through the wringer this season.
14. Paul Postma looked like a turnstile imitating a pylon at times on Saturday night versus the Bruins but he wasn’t alone. Ben Chiarot and Dustin Byfuglien weren’t very good either. Big Buff is starting to do the “Claude Noel” Buff thing again.
15. You know the Jets have injuries when Marko Dano is on the second unit PP. I like Dano but at this point in his career, he shouldn’t be on anybody’s PP.
16. Maybe it’s time to start using Nic Petan a little more in key faceoff situations. It’s a small sample size but he seems to be one of the few Jets having some success at the dot. (see #18)
17. The Winnipeg Jets goaltending has been like a rollercoaster ride with lots of ups and downs BUT too many downs. Connor Hellebuyck’s numbers are getting better but both him and Hutch are still giving up one soft goal every game.
Connor Hellebuyck: GAA – 2.62 … SV% – .911
Michael Hutchinson: GAA – 3.26 up from 3.15 last week … SV% – .896 the same as last week.
18. The Winnipeg Jets are dead last in faceoff percentage so far this season. (see #5)
19. Oh Man, I had this terrible nightmare that the Winnipeg Jets had bad goaltending, poor special teams, and they couldn’t win faceoffs … what, wait, really?
20. Special Teams:
PP: 21st at 14.7% …. down from 18th at 16.7% last week.
PK: 19th at 81.3% …. down from 17th at 81.7% last week.
Overall a little better than last year.
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Thanks, Mitch
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Gosh, I haven’t had time to watch a single game this year. Hope when I do, I get lucky and the Jets show up, which seems to be indicative of a young team, according to what I read or background listen to.
Lots of injuries, too, eh?
Good luck, Jets’ fans.
Yup, lots of injuries but it has provided some opportunities for guys like Petan, Dano, and Copp and they’ve been real good. Injured players like Little, Perreault, Myers, Armia are missed … Stafford also BUT Stuart NO and Connor NO … when Kyle Connor is healthy he should be sent straight to the AHL.